The background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
Internal combustion engine exhaust streams contain substances that may be harmful to both humans and machinery if left untreated. However, known reformers to treat exhaust streams are difficult to maintain and don't allow easy access to the fundamental components of the reformers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,994,830 to Raybone and U.S. Pat. No. 7,025,939 to Hall both teach reformers for plasma treatment of gases with electrodes supported within a dielectric tube enclosed in a single enclosure without any easily de-coupleable fasteners that allow service members to maintain the fundamental components. Maintenance of such reformers is time-consuming, expensive, and is sometimes impossible without seriously damaging the reformer walls itself—particularly when electrodes need to be maintained or replaced.
Thus, there remains a need for a system and method for improved reformers that are easy to construct, maintain, and assemble/disassemble.